The MSM are Suddenly Calling a Sucker Punch Attack a “Hate Crime,” and Prominently Displaying the Suspect’s Face—One Guess Why?! (So-Called Knockout Game)
Re-posted by Nicholas Stix
Reader-researcher Jerry writes,
When I saw the headlines I thought: Finally someone is calling the Knockout Game a hate crime! Then I read the article and realized why. Funny thing is, I wasn't really all that surprised...
An update on the previous email I sent on the Knockout Game “hate crime.” This latest MSN headline is upping the ante; it has “hate crime” attached to the headline and full color picture of the white male perp (something they can be very coy about, when the perps are black). It's clear the media are going to make a white man the “face” of the Knockout Game. Regardless that 95% of the perpetrators of this violence are blacks attacking whites. That figure is purely a subjective estimate, but I have absolutely no doubt it’s roughly accurate. The media were just waiting for a white man to do something like this, so it felt confident in rising up in self-righteous racial posturing. Predictable and disgusting.
The only flicker of hope in this absurdity is reading the comments fields under the headlines [before they’re sent down the memory hole]. It’s clear that many in the general public are not fooled, and are calling the media out on their hypocrisy.
By Joe Sterling and Josh Levs, CNN
updated 8:59 P.M. EST, Thu December 26, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Alleged attacker will be in court Friday afternoon for detention hearing
His attorney says his client has bipolar disorder
Victim suffered two jaw fractures and was hospitalized for days, complaint says
In separate case, New York police charged a knockout suspect with a hate crime
(CNN) -- A man has been charged with a federal hate crime in connection with what authorities say was a racially motivated "knockout" assault against an elderly black man, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday.
Conrad Alvin Barrett, 27, of Katy, Texas, has been charged with one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
According to the federal complaint, Barrett attacked the 79-year-old man "because of the man's race and color." He will next appear in court Friday afternoon for a detention hearing.
The suspect made a video of the attack November 24, the complaint said. In the video, he allegedly commented that "the plan is to see if I were to hit a black person, would this be nationally televised?"
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He then allegedly "hit the man with such force that the man immediately fell to the ground. Barrett then laughed and said 'knockout,' as he ran to his vehicle and fled."
The victim suffered two jaw fractures and was hospitalized for several days, the complaint said.
Barrett's attorney, George Parnham, told CNN the affidavit does not "pull back the layers of mental health."
His client has bipolar disorder and takes medication, Parnham said in an earlier call.
Parnham said he could not state whether his client carried out the attack, but, "mental health issues definitely played a part in anything that occurred."
Barrett "is very sorry for this person," Parnham said, adding that he and his client haven't had much opportunity to discuss the facts of the case.
"Knockout game" a national problem
The "knockout game" is an assault in which an assailant aims to knock out an unsuspecting victim with one punch.
According to the Justice Department complaint, there have been "knockout game" incidents, some of which have been called other names, as long ago as 1992.
New York police previously charged suspect Marajh Amrit with a hate crime in the alleged attack of a white Jewish man as part of a "knockout" game.
Similar cases have been reported recently in several states, including Illinois, Missouri and Washington.
"Hate crimes tear at the fabric of entire communities," U.S. Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels said Thursday in a Justice Department statement announcing the charge against Barrett. "As always, the Civil Rights Division will work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to ensure that hate crimes are identified and prosecuted, and that justice is done."
Barrett, who is white, allegedly recorded himself on his cell phone attacking the man and showed the video to others, the department said. "The complaint alleges Barrett made several videos, one in which he identifies himself and another in which he makes a racial slur. In addition, Barrett had allegedly been working up the 'courage' to play the 'knockout game' for approximately a week."
The victim's face was swollen on one side, and he has had to use a straw to drink, a nephew, Joseph Lewis, told CNN affiliate KTRK-TV in Houston.
The station reported that Barrett faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
Barrett told an off-duty police officer what happened and shared a video, saying he felt bad, the affidavit said.
In other videos on his phone that police confiscated, Barrett used the N-word and said that African-Americans "haven't fully experienced the blessing of evolution," according to the criminal complaint.
"It is unimaginable in this day and age that one could be drawn to violently attack another based on the color of their skin," said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Morris of the FBI's Houston office. "We remind all citizens that we are protected under the law from such racially motivated attacks, and encourage everyone to report such crimes to the FBI."
New York case
In a separate case, New York City police on Wednesday searched for a man who allegedly punched a 33-year-old woman in the back of the head in Brooklyn in what may be a "knockout" assault.
Despite that and other cases, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said last month that city officials haven't seen evidence of a trend, though they are not ruling out the idea.
"The press has named it the so-called knockout game. We don't discount that that exists. It's a possibility. We've investigated and will continue to investigate," Kelly told reporters in late November.
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